FDA establishes new Produce Safety Standards (PRPS) to boost oversight and consistency

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has new regulatory program standards for produce. The Produce Regulatory Program Standards (PRPS) provide a uniform foundation across government produce regulators to reduce illness and outbreaks related to produce. The agency says the guidelines are critical to advancing an integrated food safety system that leverages the collaboration and resources among federal, state, local, and tribal agencies to protect public health.

The guidelines were developed in collaboration with the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), and state produce inspection programs. 

In a post on the agency’s website, the FDA said improving the safety of fruits and vegetables is a priority, given that fresh produce is an essential component of a nutrient-dense, whole-foods diet, as emphasized in the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 

The PRPS comprises best practices related to prevention, intervention, and response activities to enhance the capacities of fresh produce regulatory programs,  promote program consistency and workforce training, further an Integrated Food Safety System (IFSS), assist programs in developing risk-based inspection and sampling protocols, and provide a mechanism to build a quality management system to measure performance improvement and accountability.

IFPA applauds the new PRPS 

Shortly after the announcement, the International Fresh Produce Association sent a notice to its members celebrating the FDA’s new guidelines. 

The organization emphasized the importance of establishing a standard and an informed protocol across the industry, as inconsistency creates uncertainty for the entire supply chain and unnecessary compliance costs. 

“Our members support strong food safety oversight—but that oversight must be risk-based, technically sound, and applied uniformly,” said Max Teplitski, Chief Science Officer at IFPA. “We believe that the 2025 Produce Regulatory Program Standards (PRPS) represent a meaningful structural step toward addressing these concerns.”

Together, these elements create a national quality management framework, Teplitski added, which is designed to improve inspection consistency, professionalize the inspection workforce, and reduce variability in enforcement.

*All images are referential. 

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